Golden Time

The porch of Kim Insoo’s house was was slightly larger than Suhyuk’s room. No, it looked even bigger, more than twice its size. This was only the beginning. The huge glass windows occupying one wall in the spacious living room displayed a cool scenery off the outside. While Suhyuk was looking around with a strange gaze, Kim Insoo’s mother came over with a smile. Jewels and accessories shaking around her body unusually.

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you. Are you ok now?” she asked.

‘Even she knows me?’ he thought to himself. Suhyuk showed a smile just like her’s.

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

“Yes, I was so worried about you. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“We’re going to study now,” Insoo said.

However, she added one last word, “Suhyuk, do me a favor once again. Please teach Insoo well.”

At a glance, Insoo was from a rich family. ‘Then, why is he trying to learn from me instead of going to a private academy or getting a private tutor?’

“Let’s go to the room,” said Insoo.

Among many rooms in his house, he pulled out the door knocker of the room located at the far end.

When the door was opened, there was a room that could rightly be called as a study. The bookshelf, filled with the books, was tall enough to reach the ceiling. And there was a luxurious table in the middle.

“Come on in!”

“You came to the right place,” said his friends.

Choi Inbae touching his horn-rimmed glasses, and Kim Donghyuk making a strange smile were standing there. They welcomed Suhyuk.

“Your seat is over there,” said Insoo.

Suhyuk went to take his seat by a square rectangular table. Inbae and Donghyuk sat on both sides of the table while Suhyuk sat on their opposite. Obviously Suhyuk was given an upper seat.

When Suhyuk felt uncomfortable at the seat placement, they just giggled.

“It was your seat, and it was also your favorite seat.”

Suhyuk, nodding slowly, took out the books from his bag and put them on the table.

‘Now, show me the surprise you guys have prepared for me. Things will be different from the past.’

“Suhyuk, if you do not know anything, ask us. You might not recall much of what you learned as you lost memory.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Our grades went up a lot thanks to your help. Insoo came out at the top in the entire school.”

Originally, it was Suhyuk who came at the top in his school. For some reason, when Suhyuk became a junior, Insoo came out at the top, while Donghyuk and Inbase came in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Besides, Suhyuk’s grade fell down like a steep downhill. He was placed 4th in his class, and 20th in his school. The current Suhyuk could not know that.

“Well, as all the members are here, let’s get down to work!”

As soon as Donghyeok said that, their study began. The surroundings were very quiet, except when they turned over books and moved their sharp pencils. That was the only sound. ‘These guys are really serious about studying?’ Suhyuk thought to himself.

They were concentrating, with their eyes fixed on their books.

Suhyuk felt stuffy. He could feel their studying atmosphere, but their real motivation was invisible as if it were obscured by black fog.

After watching them silently, Suhyuk finally opened his mouth,

“I’m sorry to interrupt you guys as you’re fully focused, but can I ask you a few questions?”

Their eyes were fixed on Suhyuk.

“Did you notice a problem you do not understand?”

“Please ask any questions.”

“Thank you. Don’t get me wrong about what I have to say from now on.”

Suhyuk, who caught his breath tightly, spoke again.

“Have you ever harassed me?”

At that moment, their faces suddenly stiffened, with a deeply distrustful look. But their hostile look lasted a very short time, so Suhyuk did not notice it.

“What is it? Don’t talk rot!”

“Did you have a dream? How could we do that to you?”

‘Were they intent to do their mischief to me to the end, not caring at all what they had done to me in the past?’ His diary was full of curses he hurled about them. Did he do it even when he was not harassed by them? He could not understand.

“I just want to know for sure what our relationship was like,” Suhyuk said.

Inbae, touching his glasses, said, “I think you seem to be confused, but that’s understandable as you had amnesia. We’ve been friends since we’re freshmen in the same middle school. And this meeting came about thanks to your idea. As the top student in the whole school, you taught us how to study. Private academy tutoring? Actually, you taught us better than they did, and your teaching method was much more interesting too. Did we feel like that because we’re the same age? Anyway, thanks to your help, our grades went up, and we are very much grateful to you.”

They all nodded, seeing eye to eye to Inbae’s remarks. Anyhow, it was true that they appreciated his help because their grades went up.

“Now, how could we harass you? That’s nonsense!”

He could read some sort of sincerity on their facial expressions.

Should he believe all their words?

“I’m sorry, but I cannot believe you, to be honest.”

Were they hurt by Suhyuk’s response? Or did they give up being patient with him any longer? Insoo stood up from his seat. He looked at Suhyuk coldly. In a hostile mood as if he wanted to throw a punch at him, he slowly turned around the table to approach Suhyuk.

Surrounded by books, the study had an eerie atmosphere where a man could be killed without uttering even one word.

Suhyuk, with eyes fixed firmly on Insoo’s face, was putting his head to work to prepare for any contingent situation. This is how long it takes for visual information to be delivered to the brain: first through the cornea, then the lens, vitreous body, retina, and finally through the visual nerve will the visual information be transmitted to the brain.

To make a judgement adding all this up together, it takes only about 0.2 second for the body to react immediately. Can Suhyuk escape his fist? It does not matter if he cannot.

Suhyuk grabbed his chair firmly by turning his hand backward while sitting. Bold enough. He was intent to use the chair as a blunt weapon just in case. ‘Let me pay back the pain twice as much as a silly Suhyuk of the past suffered from you.’

“What makes you get stiff like that?”

Wearing a relaxed look, Insoo approached Suhyuk instantly and patted him on the shoulder. Then he picked one of several cups next to him and poured tea from a tumbler. Steam began to roll up from the tea cup, and its delicate fragrance smelled superb.

“I hope that your memory will come back quickly, so that your misunderstanding can clear up,” he said. Insoo gave tea to Suhyuk.

“Well, drink it, and you’ll feel better. You used to like it.”

“Thanks,” Suhyuk said, taking his cup to his lips.

Did he really misunderstand? Should he give up his existing perceptions about them and take a different approach? When Suhyuk took a sip of tea and put down the cup, Insoo opened his mouth,

“Suhyuk, what does retributive justice mean? Suddenly I can’t understand what it means.” Kim Insoo showed a eerie smile.

…………………..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..

After returning home from studying, Suhyuk lay in bed. He felt dizzy and languid, in body and soul. If he closed his eyes, he felt like he would just fall asleep instantly. Looking at the fluorescent lamp, his eyes slowly closed.

“What the hell….”

He could not find any malice from the study group members. Not only from them, but also from his other classmates. It seemed as if his thoughts were in a muddle and sucked into a black hole. Suhyuk fell into sleep.

…………………..……..……..……..……..……..……..…..

At that very moment he woke up from his bed. He opened the desk drawer and took out the diary. He was determined to peruse it again. At that moment, something shiny in the disturbed drawer caught Suhyuk’s eye. It was a paper-bundle of medicine. ‘What is this?’ It was something he had not found before. Suhyuk brought his hand to the medicine.

At that very moment, his head throbbed painfully, conjuring up a certain scene from the past: He smashed pills into powder, and poured it into a tumbler with a smile. ‘How dare you bastards beat me in grades? You bastards never returning my favor! The first place in the class is mine!’ <Drink this. They say it will help you memorize things better> <Thank you, Suhyuk. You’re the one we can turn to. >

Remnants of memories kept passing through Suhyuk’s head. He was completing the pieces of the puzzle little by little: ‘As I teach you like this, you have got to return my favor with this kind of gift at the least.’ An image appears of him slipping an earring into his pocket at Insoo’s house. ‘Why! Why does my grade keep going down? Why! Why! I really did work very hard! But why am I lagging behind those stupid little guys? Yes, taking classes at a private academy is not enough. I have to get a private tutor like them. If I get an expensive tutor, my grades will rise quickly.’ <Mom, get me a tutor> Mom sighs deeply …

Suhyuk’s expressions stiffened after recalling the memories that passed like a light.

“Oh my god, I must have been a crazy little b*tch back then…”